Disclaimer: I own all.

Author's note: So, do you guys remember that prince she saved in chapter 2? Thought not. Well that's ok. He doesn't appear in this chapter anyway. Just thought I'd ask.

I'm really sorry this took so long to get out. I lost everything (writings, games, ect.) a few weeks ago in a computer crash so I've been reconstructing for a long time. The next one shouldn't take as long, I hope! Still no beta. I did the best I could. Elesea's speech is somewhat off I think but you can always help me in a review if you want.

Thank you to Claidi and kaio for their continued reviews and thanks to all the new people who reviewed last chapter.

"/Words/" = common/ English.

"Words" = Melena's home language. To be explained later.

{Words} = Written words in Melena's home language.

{Words} = common/English.

~Those Past~

"Play another Mel! Please? Your music is so inspiring. Please?" Robert begged shamelessly.

Melena had been playing an old harp she had found in Deacon's forge while he and Robert worked. She blushed and quickly scribbled on her slate, eager to please. {What would you have me play?} Melena had begun writing in the common language two weeks after she had arrived and was now, four weeks later, quite fluent in it; both written and spoken.

Deacon smiled. "/What ever you wish, dear./" He laughed at the look of surprise on her face. He did not know what Robert had asked at first but her blush told him that Robert had most definitely complemented her in some way and asked her to play another song.

Melena, the family had found was an extremely gifted harpist. A story had lead to this discovery as one had also lead to the discovery that she was a sensational sea-food cook.

{Are you sure you have no requests?} She seemed shy.

"Yes. You've played all the songs in those dusty old tomes you found. Play something from your homeland." Robert pleaded.

Melena nodded and closed her eyes, her head bowed over the lap harp between her hands. Her hair made a curtain about the harp and her hands obscuring them from view. She was still so long the two men were afraid she had forgotten or had fallen asleep. Just when Robert had gotten up to make sure she was alright a haunting chord reverberated through the room.

More followed the first creating an ominous melody. First the song was slow and lazy but still frightening. Faster and faster her fingers flew across the strings playing slightly more up beat notes than the ones starting the song. Soon it was a happy chime.

The song ended and Melena finally looked up. What she saw did nothing to boost her confidence in her ability. Robert was staring at her a blank expression in his green eyes. The small hammer he had been holding slipped from his fingers and hit the stone floor with a tinkling sound. Deacon was leaning on his work bench staring as well. His mouth was slightly open and his facial features were twisted in shock.

"Oh!" Her mouth made the shape but no sound came out before she nearly dropped the harp and tried to run from the room. She was stopped by an angry looking Robert who had finally decided to move. He put himself in her way and twined an arm around her waist as she tried to run past him. 

He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Why would you play something like that? WHY?" He nearly screamed. Tears began to slide from Melena's eyes as she stared at him not understanding what was wrong with the song she had picked.

Suddenly Deacon's voice rang from behind her. "/Robert, let her go. She doesn't understand. Look at her. She was only following your instructions./" Robert glared, then nodded and released Melena's shoulders.

"/Why would you play something like that? It was frightful!/"

Deacon who was in fact behind Melena handed her the slate and chalk she had been using.

{I do not understand. You asked me to play a song from my homeland.}

"/Yes, but I did not tell you to play Those Past./" He spat.

{Those Past? I still do not understand.}

"/It is a song to remember the dead. /" Deacon said gently.

A sob escaped her. She scribbled quickly on the slate. {That is my favorite song and the last one I ever played until now.} Again she tried to run but Deacon stopped her.

"/You did not, could not have, known. It is alright./" He gave her a half-hearted hug and whispered in her ear, "/Robert's just surprised is all. I'll talk to him while you go see if my wife needs help with anything. Alright?/" 

Nodding she all but ran from the forge.

~*

"Melena? Melena where are ya?" Elesea's voice flowed through the house.

Without thinking, or really realizing it a sobbing Melena called out, "In my room Elesea."

"Who's that? Who's there?" Elesea cried running to Melena's little room off the kitchen.

"Whatever do you mean?" Melena asked still crying. Her face buried in her pillow, as she lay on her bed, she didn't see Elesea come in.

"Melena, what's wrong?"

Still too shaken up to comprehend what was going on Melena just cried and mumbled. "Robert begged me to play a song from home so I played my favorite and he got angry with me. He says I played a song that honors the dead. Is honoring the dead not a wondrous thing?"

"Of course it is Mela." Elesea was smiling, beaming really, and Melena could not figure out why.

"What is so wonderful, Elesea, that you must smile like that at me when…Life is going to pieces." She stared at Elesea for a few moments. "My… my voice. It's back. Oh!" She shook her head in disbelief. "It can't be. Unless… Oh it must be because I played the song. Grandmother never said anything about that though." She looked heavenward, her gold eyes spilling over and held her hands up.

            "This is wonderful, Mela. You can speak with us now. Don ya see? Ya can tell Robert what happened, ya can tell Deacon. Ya can talk to Tianine and see why she don like ya so."

"She fancies Robert. I already know why she hates me.  Robert enjoys my company over hers and she cannot stand it." The beautiful girl had a defeated look about her.

"Why is tha' a bad thing child? If it's you his heart desires then she has no rights to be jealous," Elesea didn't understand why Melena couldn't just spend time with Robert and forget about Tianine. So, the girl was her daughter, she was an awful child and deserved some heart break. "You haven't a mer-boy have you? That would be most awful; you stranded here, him down there." 

"No, there is no one else. My sisters were much too jealous of me to let me near men."

"Then what could be bad about that?"

"You do not understand." Melena sat back on her bed and motioned Elesea to sit with her. "You know that Robert is a prince?"